The Los Angeles Lakers and OKC Thunder were having one of the best games of the month with a close back-and-forth clash with just one-point separating them with half of the fourth quarter left. However, that’s when the referees decided to eject Luka Doncic, who was trash-talking with the fans, but the referee (J.T. Orr) assumed it was aimed at him.
Lakers teammate and leader LeBron James stuck up for Doncic, calling the ejection personally motivated and saying that the game’s energy became ‘weird’ with the referees after that moment.
“It was a weird couple of minutes after the ejection. I don’t know why the ref was taking it personal. He already gave Luka one, and he knew that. Luka was going back and forth with a fan who was sitting courtside, like Luka does when fans talk s**t. Luka was going back-and-forth, but the ref took it upon himself to think it was on him. Another tech on Vando after a blocked shot, and the game was just weird as hell after that moment.”
“I don’t know why the ref was taking it personal”
– LeBron says ref made the game ‘weird as hell’ pic.twitter.com/FHr9Sa886A
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 9, 2025
James touched upon Jarred Vanderbilt’s issues with the referees as well. However, the forward was still concerned about how Doncic was treated. He revealed what went down for Doncic’s first technical foul at the hands of referee Orr, who Vando claims openly admitted a bias against Doncic.
“He felt I got fouled, which I did… He was telling the referee that’s what happens, and the ref told me, ‘I’ll talk to anybody but Luka.’ It seemed a little personal at that point. He told me he would talk to anyone on our team but Luka.”
Jarred Vanderbilt says when Luka Doncic picked up his first technical foul, referee J.T. Orr said he would “talk to anybody but Luka.” Vanderbilt said that the techs Doncic received “seem personal” pic.twitter.com/v7UGsaO8JW
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 9, 2025
The NBA needs to find a way to police its officials better. Any NBA player or coach who criticizes the referees gets fined aggressively, but there’s no way to ensure that coaches are held accountable after such instances.
Doncic’s trash-talk with the courtside fan, later identified as Jeremy Price, predates Doncic’s Lakers tenure. The fan admitted he and Doncic have been sharing verbal jabs whenever he comes to OKC since his time on the Dallas Mavericks, primarily their 2024 Playoff matchup where Luka’s Mavericks won.
The only tool to keep the referees accountable is the Pool Report, with referee Tony Brothers confirming that Doncic was ejected for aiming profanity at the referee.
Just because Brothers said it doesn’t make that the truth. The referee, Luka’s teammates, and Luka himself have confirmed that his words were directed to a single fan with whom he has a trash-talking rapport.
Doncic wound up taking ownership of his actions, absolving the referee and claiming it was his fault for getting ejected.
“You can see what happened. I’ve never gotten a fan ejected. If he’s gonna talk, I’m gonna talk back. I didn’t really understand… It was tough, we were right there. We fought the whole game… It was tough to see this kind of situation happen, so that’s on me too. I can’t let my team down like that.”
Luka on the 4th quarter ejection:
"That had nothing to do with the ref… it was tough, we were right there. That's on me too."
Don't forget, catch live #LakeShow games on Spectrum SportsNet+ with the NBA app, on us! 🔗: https://t.co/k8Sa1tLkWs pic.twitter.com/kZieFBvxYE
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 9, 2025
It’s quite ridiculous that we’re seeing primetime NBA games get ruined by such officiating calls. The Thunder were on the precipice of putting the game away as the Lakers’ shooting got cold, but now even they can’t claim their revenge win without an asterisk.
It’s a very dissatisfying ending to a marquee NBA matchup, and the league should address it, although they won’t.
